the underground city-第10章

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pick　he　could　reach　the　line　of　the　fissure。　　Then　with　quick　sharp　blows　he　attacked　it。　Almost　directly　afterwards　a　slight　sound　was　heard；　like　champagne　escaping　from　a　bottlea　sound　commonly　expressed　by　the　word　〃puff。〃

Harry　again　seized　his　lamp；　and　held　it　to　the　opening。　There　was　a　slight　report；　and　a　little　red　flame；　rather　blue　at　its　outline；　flickered　over　the　rock　like　a　Will…o'…the…Wisp。

Harry　leaped　to　the　ground；　and　the　old　overman；　unable　to　contain　his　joy；　grasped　the　engineer's　hands；　exclaiming；　〃Hurrah！　hurrah！　hurrah！　Mr。　Starr。　　The　fire…damp　burns！　the　vein　is　there！〃


CHAPTER　VII　NEW　ABERFOYLE


THE　old　overman's　experiment　had　succeeded。　　Firedamp；　it　is　well　known；　is　only　generated　in　coal　seams；　therefore　the　existence　of　a　vein　of　precious　combustible　could　no　longer　be　doubted。　As　to　its　size　and　quality；　that　must　be　determined　later。

〃Yes；〃　thought　James　Starr；　〃behind　that　wall　lies　a　carboniferous　bed；　undiscovered　by　our　soundings。　　It　is　vexatious　that　all　the　apparatus　of　the　mine；　deserted　for　ten　years；　must　be　set　up　anew。　　Never　mind。　We　have　found　the　vein　which　was　thought　to　be　exhausted；　and　this　time　it　shall　be　worked　to　the　end！〃

〃Well；　Mr。　Starr；〃　asked　Ford；　〃what　do　you　think　of　our　discovery？　Was　I　wrong　to　trouble　you？　　Are　you　sorry　to　have　paid　this　visit　to　the　Dochart　pit？〃

〃No；　no；　my　old　friend！〃　answered　Starr。　　〃We　have　not　lost　our　time；　but　we　shall　be　losing　it　now；　if　we　do　not　return　immediately　to　the　cottage。　　To…morrow　we　will　come　back　here。　We　will　blast　this　wall　with　dynamite。　　We　will　lay　open　the　new　vein；　and　after　a　series　of　soundings；　if　the　seam　appears　to　be　large；　I　will　form　a　new　Aberfoyle　Company；　to　the　great　satisfaction　of　the　old　shareholders。　Before　three　months　have　passed；　the　first　corves　full　of　coal　will　have　been　taken　from　the　new　vein。〃

〃Well　said；　sir！〃　cried　Simon　Ford。　　〃The　old　mine　will　grow　young　again；　like　a　widow　who　remarries！　　The　bustle　of　the　old　days　will　soon　begin　with　the　blows　of　the　pick；　and　mattock；　blasts　of　powder；　rumbling　of　wagons；　neighing　of　horses；　creaking　of　machines！　I　shall　see　it　all　again！　　I　hope；　Mr。　Starr；　that　you　will　not　think　me　too　old　to　r閟um？my　duties　of　overman？〃

〃No；　Simon；　no　indeed！　　You　wear　better　than　I　do；　my　old　friend！〃

〃And；　sir；　you　shall　be　our　viewer　again。　　May　the　new　working　last　for　many　years；　and　pray　Heaven　I　shall　have　the　consolation　of　dying　without　seeing　the　end　of　it！〃

The　old　miner　was　overflowing　with　joy。　　James　Starr　fully　entered　into　it；　but　he　let　Ford　rave　for　them　both。　Harry　alone　remained　thoughtful。　　To　his　memory　recurred　the　succession　of　singular；　inexplicable　circumstances

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attending　the　discovery　of　the　new　bed。　　It　made　him　uneasy　about　the　future。

An　hour　afterwards；　James　Starr　and　his　two　companions　were　back　in　the　cottage。　　The　engineer　supped　with　good　appetite；　listening　with　satisfaction　to　all　the　plans　unfolded　by　the　old　overman；　and　had　it　not　been　for　his　excitement　about　the　next　day's　work；　he　would　never　have　slept　better　than　in　the　perfect　stillness　of　the　cottage。

The　following　day；　after　a　substantial　breakfast；　James　Starr；　Simon　Ford；　Harry；　and　even　Madge　herself；　took　the　road　already　traversed　the　day　before。　　All　looked　like　regular　miners。　They　carried　different　tools；　and　some　dynamite　with　which　to　blast　the　rock。　　Harry；　besides　a　large　lantern；　took　a　safety　lamp；　which　would　burn　for　twelve　hours。　　It　was　more　than　was　necessary　for　the　journey　there　and　back；　including　the　time　for　the　working　supposing　a　working　was　possible。

〃To　work！　to　work！〃　shouted　Ford；　when　the　party　reached　the　further　end　of　the　passage；　and　he　grasped　a　heavy　crowbar　and　brandished　it。

〃Stop　one　instant；〃　said　Starr。　　〃Let　us　see　if　any　change　has　taken　place；　and　if　the　fire…damp　still　escapes　through　the　crevices。〃

〃You　are　right；　Mr。　Starr；〃　said　Harry。　　〃Whoever　stopped　it　up　yesterday　may　have　done　it　again　to…day！〃

Madge；　seated　on　a　rock；　carefully　observed　the　excavation；　and　the　wall　which　was　to　be　blasted。

It　was　found　that　everything　was　just　as　they　left　it。　　The　crevices　had　undergone　no　alteration；　the　carburetted　hydrogen　still　filtered　through；　though　in　a　small　stream；　which　was　no　doubt　because　it　had　had　a　free　passage　since　the　day　before。　　As　the　quantity　was　so　small；　it　could　not　have　formed　an　explosive　mixture　with　the　air　inside。　James　Starr　and　his　companions　could　therefore　proceed　in　security。　Besides；　the　air　grew　purer　by　rising　to　the　heights　of　the　Dochart　pit；　and　the　fire…damp；　spreading　through　the　atmosphere；　would　not　be　strong　enough　to　make　any　explosion。

〃To　work；　then！〃　repeated　Ford；　and　soon　the　rock　flew　in　splinters　under　his　skillful　blows。　　The　break　was　chiefly　composed　of　pudding…stone；　interspersed　with　sandstone　and　schist；　such　as　is　most　often　met　with　between　the　coal

veins。　　James　Starr　picked　up　some　of　the　pieces；　and　examined　them　carefully；　hoping　to　discover　some　trace　of　coal。

Starr　having　chosen　the　place　where　the　holes　were　to　be　drilled；　they　were　rapidly　bored　by　Harry。　　Some　cartridges　of　dynamite　were　put　into　them。　　As　soon　as　the　long；　tarred　safety　match　was　laid；　it　was　lighted　on　a　level　with　the　ground。　James　Starr　and　his　companions　then　went　off　to　some　distance。

〃Oh！　　Mr。　Starr；〃　said　Simon　Ford；　a　prey　to　agitation；　which　he　did　not　attempt　to　conceal；　〃never；　no；　never　has　my　old　heart　beaten　so　quick　before！　　I　am　longing　to　get　at　the　vein！〃

〃Patience；　Simon！〃　responded　the　engineer。　　〃You　don't　mean　to　say　that　you　think　you　are　going　to　find　a　passage　all　ready　open　behind　that　dyke？〃

〃Excuse　me；　sir；〃　answered　the　old　overman；　〃but　of　course　I　think　so！　If　there　was　good　luck　in　the　way　Harry　and　I　discovered　this　place；　why　shouldn't　the　good　luck　go　on？〃

As　he　spoke；　came　the　explosion。　　A　sound　as　of　thunder　rolled　through　the　labyrinth　of　subterranean　galleries。　Starr；　Madge；　Harry；　and　Simon　Ford　hastened　towards　the　spot。

〃Mr。　Starr！　　Mr。　Starr！〃　shouted　the　overman。　　〃Look！　the　door　is　broken　open！〃

Ford's　comparison　was　justified　by　the　appearance　of　an　excavation；　the　depth　of　which　could　not　be　calculated。　Harry　was　about　to　spring　through　the　opening；　but　the　engineer；　though　excessively　surprised　to　find　this　cavity；　held　him　back。　〃Allow　time　for　the　air　in　there　to　get　pure；〃　said　he。

〃Yes！　beware　of　the　foul　air！〃　said　Simon。

A　quarter　of　an　hour　was　passed　in　anxious　waiting。　The　lantern　was　then　fastened　to　the　end　of　a　stick；　and　introduced　into　the　cave；　where　it　continued　to　burn　with　unaltered　brilliancy。　〃Now　then；　Harry；　go；〃　said　Starr；　〃and　we　will　follow　you。〃

The　opening　made　by　the　dynamite　was　sufficiently　large　to　allow　a　man　to　pass　through。　　Harry；　lamp　in　hand；　entered　unhesitatingly；　and　disappeared　in　the　darkness。　His　father；　mother；　and　James　Starr　waited　in　silence。　A　minutewhich　seemed　to　them　much　longerpassed。　　Harry　did　not　reappear；　did　not　call。　　Gazing　into　the　opening；

James　Starr　could　not　even　see　the　light　of　his　lamp；　which　ought　to　have　illuminated　the　dark　cavern。

Had　the　ground　suddenly　given　way　under　Harry's　feet？　Had　the　young　miner　fallen　into　some　crevice？　　Could　his　voice　no　longer　reach　his　companions？

The　old　overman；　dead　to　their　remonstrances；　was　about　to　enter　the　opening；　when　a　light　appeared；　dim　at　first；　but　gradually　growing　brighter；　and　Harry's　voice　was　heard　shouting；　〃Come；　Mr。　Starr！　come；　father！　　The　road　to　New　Aberfoyle　is　open！〃

If；　by　some　superhuman　power；　engineers　could　have　raised　in　a　block；　a　thousand　feet　thick；　all　that　portion　of　the　terrestrial　crust　which　supports　the　lakes；　rivers；　gulfs；　and　territories　of　the　counties　of　Stirling；　Dumbarton；　and　Renfrew；　they　would　have　found；　under　that　enormous　lid；　an　immense　excavation；　to　which　but　one　other　in　the　world　can　be　compared　the　celebrated　Mammoth　caves　of　Kentucky。　　This　excavation　was　composed　of　several　hundred　divisions　of　all　sizes　and　shapes。　It　might　be　called　a　hive　with　numberless　ranges　of　cells；　capriciously　arranged；　but　a　hive　on　a　vast　scale；　and　which；　instead　of　bees；　might